Trados target segments end up in WORD

Question

Dear Trados experts, I am using Trados 2022 Professional. 
 At the end of each workday, I consistently find dozens of files opened in WORD, containing the content of individual target segments. 
 I have the suspicion that some WORD shortcut command is similar to a Trados command that causes this shifting of the text sections into individual Word files. Has anyone experienced this phenomenon and knows a remedy? I would be very grateful for any tips!

Paul · Answer

Anja von Werden 
 There's a problem we don't see every day... in fact I'm sure I can say I have never seen nor heard of a problem like this!! Must be quite irritating!! 
 I took to AI for some help with this and here's some suggestions that might be worth looking into. Good luck and let us know if you find the cause!

1. Keyboard Shortcut Conflict 
 
 It's possible that a Trados Studio shortcut is conflicting with a Word shortcut or global Windows shortcut. 
 For example, the Trados command to 'Copy Source to Target' ( Ctrl + Insert ) could potentially conflict with a Word shortcut if Word is open and active in the background. 
 Check Trados Studio's shortcut settings (File &rarr; Options &rarr; Keyboard Shortcuts) and compare them to Word's shortcuts. You might find an unexpected overlap. 
 
 Action: Try temporarily changing Trados Studio&rsquo;s shortcuts to see if the issue persists. 
 
 2. Rogue Macro in Word 
 
 A Word macro could be automatically generating new documents under certain conditions. 
 If the macro is designed to capture clipboard text or intercept certain keyboard actions, it could create Word documents with content from Trados segments. 
 
 Action: In Word, go to: 
 
 Developer tab &rarr; Macros (if Developer tab isn&rsquo;t enabled, you can add it in Word options) 
 Check for any unexpected macros that may be running.

3. External Automation Tool (AutoHotkey, PowerToys, etc.) 
 
 If you're using automation tools like AutoHotkey or PowerToys, there may be a conflicting script running that intercepts Trados Studio shortcuts. 
 
 Action: Review any automation scripts or disable them temporarily to see if the issue resolves. 
 
 4. Clipboard Manager or Clipboard Hijacking 
 
 Some clipboard managers automatically create Word documents when they detect text copied multiple times. This behaviour can accidentally trigger if Trados frequently copies segments to the clipboard. 
 
 Action: If you use a clipboard manager (e.g., Ditto, ClipClip), try disabling it and see if the issue disappears. 
 
 5. Word&rsquo;s AutoRecover or Draft Mode 
 
 Word sometimes saves temporary draft files or recovery files. If Studio somehow triggers this via clipboard content, it could mistakenly create those files. 
 
 Action: Check Word's AutoRecover settings: 
 
 Go to File &rarr; Options &rarr; Save and check the AutoRecover file location. If Word documents are appearing there, Word&rsquo;s recovery function might be misfiring.

6. Accidental Drag and Drop 
 
 If you're unknowingly dragging text between applications (especially if Word is running in the background), this could create new documents. This is rare but possible with touchpads or external mice.

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Trados target segments end up in WORD

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